The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1887-10-12
TALsfAGE's SERMON.
An Interesting Discourse on the
Nobility OF True Abnegation.


Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage took for the
subject OF recent discourse at the
Brooklyn Tabernacle seThe Nobility Of
True Abnegation,n his text being:
We know the grace Of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he
became poor.-H Corinthians, viii, O.
DR.. Talmage said: That all the worlds
which on cold winters night make the
heavens one great glitter are inhatitant-
less is an absurdity. Philosophers tell us
that many Of these worlds are too hot or
too cold, or too rarified of atmosphere for
residence. But if not fit for human abode,
they may be fit for beings different from
and superior to ourselves. We are told
that the world Of Jupiter is changing until
it is almost ct for creatures like the
human race, and that Mars would do for
the human family, with a little change in
the structure of the respiratory organs.
But that there is vast world swung
somewhere, vast beyond imagination,
and that it is the headquarters Of the
universe, and the metropolis Of immen-
sity, and has population in numbers
vast beyond all statistics, and appoint
ments Of splendor beyond the capacity
of canvas, or poem, or angel to describe, 10
as certain as the Bible is authentic. Per-
hsps some of the astronomers with their
big telescopes have already caught a
glimpse of it, not knowing what it is. We
spell it with six letters, and pronounce IL
Heaven.
That is where Prince Jesus lived nine
teen centuries ago. He was the Kings son,
1t was the old homestead of eternity, and
all its castles were as old as God. Not q
frost had ever chilled the air. Not tear
had ever rolled down the cheek of one of
it's inhabitants. There had never been in
Ii headache, or a sideaehe, or a heart
ache. There had never been funeral in
the memory of the oldest inhabitant.
There had never in all the land been woven
black vail, for there had never be any
thing to mourn over. The passage Of
millions of years had not wrinkled or
crippled or bedimmed any of its citizens.
All the people there were in q state of
eternal adolescence. What floral and
pomotic richness! Gardens of perpetual
bloom and orchards in amending fruitage.
Had some spirit from another
world entered and asked: "What is
sinY what is bereavement? what is
sorrow? what is death?v the brightest of
the intelligences would have failed to give
definition, though to study the question
there were silence in Heaven for half an
hour. The Prince of whom spoke had
honors, emoluments, acclamations, such
rs no other prince, celestial or terrestrial,
ever enjoyed AS He passed the street,
the inhabitants took Off from their brows
garlands of white lilies and threw them in
the way. He never entered any of the
temples without all the worshipers rising
up and bowling in obedience. In all the
professions of the high days He was the
one who evoked the loudest welcome.
Sometimes ON foot, walking in loving talk
with the bumblest of the land, but at 9TH
or times He took chariot, and among the
10000 that David spoke of His was the
swiftest and most flaming; or, as when
John described Him, he took white pal
frey, with what prance of foot, and arch
of neck, and roll of name, and CLEAN Of
eye, is only dimly suggested in the
Apocalypse. He was not like 9TH
or princes, waiting for the Father
to die and then take the throne.
When, few years ago, an artist
in Germany made picture for the Royal
Gallery representing Emperor William on
the throne and the Crown Prince as hav-
ing one foot on the step of the throne,
Emperor William ordered the picture
changed and said: sLet the Prince keep
his foot off the throne till leave it.r
Already enthroned was the Heavenly
Prince side by side with the Father
What circle Of dominioni What myr-
nidons of admirersi What unend ding
round of glories! All the towers chimed
the Princes praises OF all the in
habitants, from the center of the city on
over the hills and clear down to the
beach against the ocean of immensely
rolls its pillows, the Prince was the
favorite. No wonder my
text says that
He was rich
Set all the diamonds of the earth in one
sceptre, build all the palaces of the earth
in one alhambra, gather all the pearls of
the sea in one diadem, put all the values
of the earth in one coin, the aggre-
gate would not express his affluence.
Yes, Paul was right. Solomon had
in gold f6s0,000, 900 and in silver Ell, 029,-
000,37T But a greater than Solomon is
here. Not the millionaire, but the quad
Millionaire of Heaven. To describe His
celestial surroundings the Bible uses all
colors, gathering them in rainbow over
the throne and setting them as agate in
the temple window, and hosting twelve
of them into a wall from striped jasper at
the base to transparent amethyst in the
capstone, while between are green of
emerald, and snow of pearl, and blue Of
sapphire, and yellow of topaz, and gray
Of chrysoprasus, and fame of jacinth. All
the loneliness of landscape in foliage, and
river and rill, and all enchantment
the sea of glass mingled with
fire as the sun sinks in the editerranean,
All the thrill of music, instrumental and
vocal, harps, trumpet, doxologies. There
stood the Prince, surrounded by those
who had under their wings the velocity
Of millions of miles in second, rich In
love, rich in alteration, rich in power, rich
In worship, rich in holiness, rich as God.
But one day there was big disaster in
a department of Gods universe. A race
fallen! A world in ruins Our planet the
scene of catastrophel A globe swinging
out into darkness, with mountains, and
seas, and islands, an awful centrifugal of
sin seeming to overpower the beautiful